Foreign ministers laud China-DPRK ties

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ri Yong-ho, the foreign minister for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, on Tuesday afternoon in Beijing.

Wang noted that during top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un’s recent successful visit to China, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reached important consensuses with Kim on developing China-DPRK relations and on promoting the peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

In the current situation, maintaining and developing the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK is very important for both countries and the region, Wang said.

The diplomatic departments of the two countries should strengthen exchanges at all levels and translate into reality the outcomes of the two leaders’ meeting as soon as possible, Wang added.

Ri said the successful meeting between the two top leaders provided an important opportunity for the development of DPRK-China relations.

The DPRK is willing to work with China to implement the consensuses of the top leaders, boost mutual high-level visits and diplomatic communication at all levels, and inherit and develop the DPRK-China traditional, friendly relations, Ri added.

Wang said China appreciates the DPRK’s commitment to the denuclearization of the peninsula and the important efforts it has made in easing the peninsula situation.

China supports the DPRK’s respective summit meetings with the Republic of Korea and the United States, Wang added.

China will continue to promote peace talks and dialogue, and work for the realization of the denuclearization of the peninsula and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the peninsula.

Ri said the DPRK will work as guided by the meeting between the two top leaders and maintain close strategic communications with China on issues regarding the peninsula.